Holborn Inspection Ride

On Saturday 7th July 2010, Alex Santacreu led our sixth inspection ride round the Holborn area. DRAFT.

DRAFT

Saturday 7 July 2012. A group of 5 cyclists inspected the Holborn area: Steve Cardno, Meade McCloughan, George Coulouris, Jean Dollimore and Alex Santacreu. We started outside the Renoir Cinema, looking first at the Brunswick Roundabout and then went to inspect the routes described below.

Click on any photo to see an enlargement

The Brunswick Roundabout

Brunswick roundabout, looking into Bernard Street	Brunswick roundabout’s tarmac
width=”320″ />	width=”320″ />	We discussed the Brunswick Square roundabout which Camden Council is planning to remove and replace with a cross roads. Riders agreed this would be a great urban realm enhancement, especially benefitting pedestrians and cyclists. This is also an opportunity to close Lansdwone Terrace to motor vehicles, allowing two-way traffic on Grenville Street, turning the present roundabout into a simple T-junction.See LB Camden’s request for ideas on Brunswick roundabout

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We moved on to explore the routes connecting Camden (from the BritishLibrary) to Southwark or the City. All the routes described below join on Hatton Garden, a two-way commercial street with effective traffic calming. See the photo on
the right.

The routes go through Holborn Circus, offering a simple connection to StPaul’s via Holborn viaduct or Blackfriars
Bridge via Shoe Lane. CamdenCyclists are currently working with the Council to make sure these important cycle routes are maintained in the href=”../../camden/consultations/holborn-circus-03-11″>planned simplified layout of Holborn Circus.
In these plans, the southern end of Hatton Garden is to be one way northbound and it is
essential that contraflow cycling be provided.

Route 1: Tavistock Place -> Ampton Street -> Phoenix Place -> Hatton Garden

This low-traffic two-way route includes steep ramps, especiallycobblestoned Back Hill. An alternative to Back Hill used
to be to go via Herbal Hill, across Clerkenwell Road and via Hatton Wall into Hatton Garden. It is a very narrow road of
approximately 3m width carriageway which used to have bollards in the middle to create a closure.In February 2011,
Islington Council decided
to change it to a one way street on the grounds that vehicles couldn’t turn. We noted that
Camden seem to manage the street name while Islington manages the no-entry
sign…

Back Hill: steep and cobbled	Herban Hill, going south from Warner Street.
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Route 2: Hatton Garden -> Clerkenwell Road -> Doughty Street -> TonbridgeStreet -> Bidborough
Street

Clerkenwell Road	Theobald’s Road @ John Street	Col 3
href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/camdencyclists/7577448958/”> width=”320″ />	href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/camdencyclists/7577443350/”> width=”320″ />	Do we need three lanes of traffic on Clerkenwell road westbound?Is there a good reason to ban the cyclist’s right turn into John Street which is needed to follow the route via Doughty Street?

Route 3:Doughty Street -> Laystall Street -> Hatton Garden

Laystall Street : scope for two-way cycling…	Laystall Street on left, Clerkenwell Road aheadand Hatton Garden to the right
href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/camdencyclists/7577454592/”> width=”320″ />	href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/camdencyclists/7577449872/”> width=”320″ />	Laystall Street is one-way southbound between Mount Pleasant and Rosebery Avenue; and one-way northbound between Clerkenwell Road and Rosebery Avenue.Two-way cycling for the entire length of Laystall Street would enable a useful route for cyclists.The entry to Laystall Street at Clerkenwell Road is marked with a ‘flying motorcycle’ sign (allowing cycle access) and described as a pedestrian zone Monday – Friday 8:30 and – 4.30 pm.

 

 

The Holborn gyratory

The route for eastbound cyclists on Theobalds Road via the Holborn one way system requires
a left turn into Proctor Street and then a right turn into High Holborn. This involves crossing several lanes of moving
traffic to enter the bus lane on the right of Proctor Street. You then have to get across High Holborn and decide on a
suitable road position for proceeding straight ahead on this 4-lane one way street. The junction at Kingsway is very wide
and you have to find a place in a much narrower street on the far side.

Some cyclists are tempted to follow the bus on Theobalds road and avoid the Holborn one-way system.
See some
history.

Col 1	Vernon Place, leading to Bloomsbury Way	Bloomsbury Way, looking East, into a bus lane where cyclists are banned
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Some dreadful Road Surfaces

Elm Street	Sidmouth Street	Sidmouth Street
href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/camdencyclists/7577450892/”> width=”320″ />	href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/camdencyclists/7577457410/”> width=”320″ />	href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/camdencyclists/7577455970/”> width=”320″ />

 

 

Hunter Street

Removal of cycle markings in the door zone – Hunter Street

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Before the planned inspection, we considered therecent changes in Hunter street. (As part of a scheme to provide signage on a default north-south route from Judd Street via Hunter Street, Guilford Street, Lambs Conduit Street and Red Lion Street.In Hunter Street, there had been some sub-standard cycle lanes on both sides of the road: they were too narrow, not continuous and some were in the door zone. It was decided to remove these and to enhance a long northbound feeder lane as far as Tavistock Place.The group approved these changes.

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